Japan has failed (by about half) to reach its targets for "scientific research". I wonder ... does this mean that some restaurants will be laying off staff due to declining numbers of diners resulting from the lack of availability of this "research" on their menus? I'm disgusted that the world still allows Japan (and Norway) to make a mockery of us by insisting that it's for scientific purposes, when we all know damn well that it's not.

I'd like to see some tracking data from the Japanese resulting from the whales that they tagged so as to track their migration patterns, etc. After all, if they were truly conducting research, wouldn't this be one of the minimum things that they would do, considering it is standard practice with all animal studies?

Japan regrets not meeting whale hunt target - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I don't have a problem with Japan killing whales for food. Imagine if Japan tried to tell us we could'nt kill cows.

The problem exists when they are killing a protected species, and they get around this by lying to the world and say they are doing it in the name of scientific research.

This year they added Humpback whales to their list of targets, but later relinquished due to the enormous pressure placed on them by Australia. This is because the Humpback migration pattern takes them right along our east coat, and is a major tourist industry ... not to mention they're a rare species, and thus protected.

You can't equate cattle with whales. Cattle are bred for food; whales are not. Cattle are not endangered and not protected; whales are. You don't say that you kill cattle for "scientific research"; the Japanese say this about whales. At least the killing of cattle is honest (and I was raised on a cattle property in Central Queensland, so I know a little about cattle).

Well If Japan bred any whales I could follow you.

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"I think that gay marriage should be allowed."
- John McCain on an episode of Hardball, 2006, before the commercial break

"I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."
- John McCain on the same episode of Hardball, after the commercial break

"John McCain does not speak for the John McCain campaign."
- Tucker Bounds, Spokesman of the John McCain presidential campaign.

The straight talk express. You gotta love it.

The thing is quite redicules....

While it is quite strange:
The amount of hunting is rediculesly small compared to the historic hunting industry around the world and arguments like food supply are without any basis on reality. It's quite obvious that the whale hunting has more to do with inner politics than anything else... perhaps the whale hunting fleet is like coal mines in Germany or the steel industry in the US... in a different way of course...

I personally feel that while I think Japan should stop the hunting for P.R. reason first and enviromentalist and financial reasons second... I also think that the amount of media coverage is way over the top... There are other countries that do whaling...Norway has a higher quata on Minke whales and a much much much higher quata per capita and nobody talks about that...

BTW:
By-catch is much much much worse

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I don't agree with the first part of this(obviously I agree with the statement, just not the implication). Whether or not an animal is bred for the purpose of being killed shouldn't have any implication on whether or not you should kill it. Being protected, however, certainly means whaling should stop.

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During the journey we commonly forget its goal. Almost every profession is chosen as a means to an end but continued as an end in itself. Forgetting our objectives is the most frequent act of stupidity.
-Friedrich Nietzsche, The Wanderer and his Shadow

All good socialists have villas in Southern France. That's not the point.
-Eurosocialist

So if Japan just said that they were killing whales for their domestic market, it would be fine? That sounds reasonable. The non-whaling countries have every right to ban the sale of whale products in their own countries, but to ban Japan selling it in Japan is a violation of state sovereignty.

If Japan were killing the whales in their domestic waters, your argument might stand. However, they're killing in international waters, therefore the international community has some say in the matter.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Well, there is one big difference. Japan is a signatory on the whaling commission. Norway isn't. And Japan makes a big show that they are whaling for research, when it has been shown quite convincingly that this is not true.

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Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
--Sun Tzu

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
--African proverb

Well I still think the public preasure should be higher on non signatores first...

But I won't argue too much in Japans favour on this topic... as stated I find it stupid and irrational how Japan defends itself...
Stupid because it is hurting Japans image abroad and as an export nation that's nothing you want...
Irrational because it's hard to see the any benefit for the Japanese citizen out of this...besides of course bad P.R. and cost for the whaling .... stinks like lobby-work to me.

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on the flip side though, because they are hunting in international waters they are free to do as they like being a sovereign nation and all that. Sure, the international community can have a say, but the choice is ultimately Japan's.

So, IMO, more power to Japan.

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

More power to Japan?

I say sink their whaling ships in international waters.

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When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Come on pram.....

__________________
There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

But I like whales. I absolutely disagree with whaling.

Do I think that Japanese (or Norwegians) should be killed for it? Of course not. Would I love to see every single one of those whaling ships sunk without loss of life?

Yes.

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Next thing you know we'll have Jap (or Norwegian) warships targetting Green Peace vessels. Thereby making much easier for them to go whaling.

__________________
There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.